Akihiro
by Chou-Sawahata
Summary: Akihiro seems to be living an ordinary and peaceful life at most. But when an unexpected event occurs she is left with more questions...one that may pertain to her origins...something she never cared about.
1. Chapter 1

I awoke that morning to have a taste of terrible luck. I was prepared to have a hearty breakfast when the old toaster oven decided to give me some trouble.

I sighed and went to the back room to get out a toolkit.

 _Technology. A frustrating existence,_ I thought.

The sun's rays were wonderful that morning; they looked like an aural projection as they came in through the kitchen windows.

 _Sure is a beautiful day. I wish I could paint this…but I have to fix this first._

I sat down and opened the toaster oven to see what was going on.

 _Probably cramped with crumbs or the bulb needs to be changed._

As I tried to figure out what was going on, something strange happened.

The room suddenly seemed to sway, as if a great gust of wind was blowing. Then I felt the air seem to change and get a bit colder.

I thought it was the natural ventilation from the cool morning temperature.

Then I remembered that I left no windows open this early.

But before I could make any sense of it, I felt something brush against the side of my face. It felt as fragile as lace.

I cocked my head to one side.

Then I felt something brush against my ear.

My eyes widened.

Something giggled.

"My love, what are you doing now?"

I gulped.

I slowly turned my head to my right.

What I saw alarmed me immediately.

A woman with long flowing red hair smiled at me.

I stared at her in absolute horror.

"Wh-what…are you doing in my…house?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Your house?"

She laughed.

"You don't own a house right now, silly!"

"Uh…yes I do."

She lifted her brow and squinted.

"So now you do? Very funny."

I backed up hastily and bumped into the wall.

She stared.

"What's gotten into you? Are you playing a trick on me? Is this what you do when I let you out of my sight for just a second?"

I froze in disbelief. Then I noticed something really odd about her. I didn't hear her breathing at all. And she seemed…kind of…transparent.

I got up and ran.

"Minato, come back! What are you doing?"

I ran out my house straight into the forest. She raced after me.

"Minato, if this is a stupid game I'm going to make you pay for it! You better get back here!" she said angrily.

I tripped and she caught up.

"Got you!" she said. Then she hugged me and I actually felt her embrace me. It didn't feel right. Somehow she was treating me like a different person…she hugged me as if I was her lover. That's probably who this Minato was.

But I knew better than that. At first, I thought she was a crazy stranger or that she was drunk. However, something felt off…and she didn't seem… _alive._

That's when I finally understood what was going on.

 _She must think I'm…dead too. That I'm her dead lover._

I bolted at the speed of light and she lost me in seconds.

"Minato! Minato!" I heard her call before I passed out.

I thought it was over. After I woke up, I realized she wasn't pursuing me anymore. Part of me hoped that I got shocked by the toaster oven and I just had a trip of insanity due to my nerves. I knew that wasn't the case.

When I arrived home I was shaking and I sat down at the kitchen table in a cold sweat.

 _What the heck was that? Why…would this happen?_

I must have sat there for hours until I finally decided to go to bed.

Things were just getting started.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up to the sun's rays clawing at my eyes. I blinked back tears as I turned over.

I didn't even want to get up.

I must have laid there for over two hours until I felt hunger rumbling in the pit of my stomach.

 _Shit. I just want to throw up._

I rolled over one last time before I started to put my hands to my head and clamp my fingers tightly to my skull.

I felt my head throbbing as I gritted my teeth. I felt like if I put any more pressure to my head I would surely explode. But it was the only thing I could even do. I felt myself become so tense that I got up abruptly with a scream.

I sat there gazing into the wooden floor. I could probably count out every single grain in the wood if I wanted to. I felt like I lost every last bit of sanity that would keep me grounded. I couldn't even sleep.

 _Because of…her._

That's when I got up and ran to the kitchen. I pulled out the rice bag from the cabinet and flung rice at every single part of the house. Then I burned incense and finally brushed my teeth and sat at the table.

But I couldn't eat.

 _I have to eat._

I got up and tried to get an egg on the frying pan, but my hands were shaking so much I almost dropped the yolk with the shells. I threw it in a bowl of rice, put a few seasonings on it and sat down. I lifted the food to my mouth and I froze.

 _Just do it._

I opened my mouth and put some of the hot rice and egg in my mouth. I swallowed it slowly, not even reacting to the immense heat I felt on my tongue sliding down my throat. I started to eat at a rapid pace. When I cleaned out the entire bowl I threw my bowl and chopsticks into the sink. I must have hit it so hard that one of the chopsticks clambered on the floor while the bowl bounced up three inches without somehow breaking. I impulsively raced for the chopstick and threw it in the sink. I got a glass of water and drank it.

That's when I smelled a woman's perfume.

It must have been for an instant, because I sniffed again and it was gone. My eyes widened but I took a sip of water as fast as I could. In between a few gulps, I tasted something that was like metal. I kept sipping and then I recognized something else.

The glass shattered on the floor as red blood seemed to ooze from its contents. I turned to the sink and saw it dripping small spatters on the dishes. I screamed.

I ran outside straight for the lake. With the long voyage down the forest I was sure it would be enough time to calm my restless nerves and ease my mind.

 _Once I get there, I'll gaze into the waters and remember who I am. That I'm not lost in my mind._

I used all my strength until I felt the energy draining from me. But somehow…

 _How did I get that fast? I don't remember my jutsu being this strong…_

I grinned sarcastically to myself.

 _Adrenaline rush, huh? Or that this time I'm actually trying?_

I sat at the lake and did just what I imagined. I gazed into the lake and felt myself slowly unwind. It took a minute until I realized that something was going through my hair.

 _The evening breeze…_

There was no breeze.

 _Another bug? Maybe a cricket this time, so I could make a wish in which nothing ever happ−_

Fingers were caressing my hair. Then I felt a woman's lips caress my cheeks.

 _GET AWAY FROM ME!_

I whirled around but no one was there.

I stood as if I was petrified by death itself.

Then I heard humming.

Humming.

A traditional song.

Something that would be at a ritual.

A marriage ritual.

I felt sick to my stomach and coughed up blood.

She flew straight at me and I swatted her away with a kunai.

"Get any closer and I'll fry you!"

She stopped abruptly and looked shocked. If she wasn't a ghost, I would have just grazed her cheek with that single, cautious blow.

Then she glared at me and screamed.

"How dare you Minato! You would do this to your wife?"

She flew at me and fought with impeccable speed and skill. I had no idea how I managed not to die from her attacks.

"I'm not this Minato person, ok? My name is Akihiro!"

She stopped fighting to look at me as if I had really lost every sound part of my mental state.

"Are you _joking?"_

 _"_ I'm _not_ Minato! Look, I get this all the time…people don't really know who I am so they say someone else's name or they think I'm a guy but…"

My face flushed red thinking about the rare times Mom and Dad brought friends over and they kept thinking I was a guy or someone they knew.

"But I'm not this person, ok? I'm just me. Akihiro. No one special, not your lover, or in any way relevant to you. If anything, I'm just a hermit or some forest kid."

Her eyes widened and she studied me in disbelief.

Then she narrowed her eyes sharply.

"You think you cheated death? You think you can have a life again and start over? That your not dead…that everything can just change? You even _run_ at the site of me and you even would attack me, just to fuel a foolish desire? I would **never** think you would do this. You of _all_ people…ARE YOU STUPID?"

She flew at me and the next thing I knew, all I saw was red and I was knocked out cold.


End file.
